


First Year at Hogwarts

by guardianstar



Series: The Troublesome Lot [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Mischief, Orphanage, Slytherin, Trouble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-25
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-05-03 06:34:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5280389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guardianstar/pseuds/guardianstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a lady showed up in her room and told her that she was a witch, Celia didn't believe a word of it. But when the person you're talking to can transform into a cat with ease...well...there's little room for an argument. Celia Meraculus Nott is a young girl living in the attic of the not-so-great orphanage, St. Aggie's Home for Orphaned Children, and, after some initial hesitation, has no problem accepting the fact that she's a magical being. However, going to magic school and making friends is a whole new experience for someone who's grown up knowing that things could only go well if you stayed out of everyone's way. So when she easily makes two new friends on the Hogwarts Express and then another later at school, life couldn't be getting any better.</p><p>This is the story of the Troublesome Lot's first adventure at Hogwarts, set during the same time as the Harry Potter series. They'll get up to plenty of mischief when they've got the brains, the heart, the misfit, and the one who makes everything awesome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Year at Hogwarts

"What do you mean, I'm a bloody wizard?" I asked the woman in front of me, accidentally letting my annoyance show through my tone. _Really, if this is another joke I'm gonna end up killing someone._

"A witch, actually," the woman replied calmly, taking a sip of tea from her floral pattern tea cup. She was a tall, black haired woman dressed in emerald green robes. She had a stern expression, but it softened when she spoke to me. It was probably that fact alone that allowed me to warm up to her, and that was saying something since I generally didn't like adults. "Only males are wizards."

I rolled my eyes, "Well obviously, but that's not the point. Witches and wizards don't exist, magic doesn't exist, it's all imaginary." _Was this woman stupid? Maybe she'd escaped from a mental hospital somewhere...but I'm pretty sure they don't let mental patients wear green robes like that._

"If magic doesn't exist, Miss Nott, then how is it that I can do this?" She put her cup of tea down on nothing and it hovered innocently in mid air.

I frowned, narrowing my eyes suspiciously, "...That's just a trick...."

"Oh, this isn't what I'm going to show you, dear," she said and promptly transformed into a cat.

I should mention that my day had been very normal up until this point. I'd woken up at 6am sharp, made breakfast for myself and the other children, completed my long list of chores, stayed out of everyone's way, and come back to my room with no more issues than usual. Nothing unusual. Then, while I was reading one of my many dusty old books about dragons, I glanced up to check the time and noticed a complete stranger sitting in an armchair I'd never seen before and drinking a cup of tea as if there was nothing wrong with this situation at all. Maybe it was normal for her to randomly enter other people's rooms uninvited, but I must say it gave me a fright. Not to mention that Madam Agnatha never allows outsiders into my room. She shows them around to see all the other children, allowing them to choose any for adoption, but I'm always forced to remain alone in my small, dusty room in the attic. I'm pretty sure it was child cruelty of some kind, but I'm usually too busy trying to stay on top of my chores and ahead of the usual bullies to think about such things. It's easier to stay out of the way than to attract any attention to myself. _Still, how did this woman get up here? Did she slip past Madam Agnatha and sneak up here? But then where would the chair and tea have come from? Why am I even thinking about this, she just turned into a bloody cat!_

Despite all these thoughts going through my brain, I tried as hard as I could to remain composed. This included gripping the bed tightly and trying to keep myself from hyperventilating. The cat transformed back into a lady and she sat back down, looking exactly as she'd looked before.

"What the hell?!" I snapped at her.

"I'm a witch," she explained as if it were obvious. "My name is Minerva McGonagall, though you'll know me as Professor McGonagall when you come to Hogwarts."

I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but I barely had enough space in my mind to form coherent words at the moment. "What the hell is Hogwarts?"

"Hogwarts is one of the greatest magical schools for young witches and wizards in the world, Miss Nott. It is the school you'll be attending from now on." I stared at her, too shocked to speak, as she pulled an envelope out of her robes and sent it flying magically over to me. I instinctively reached out and let the letter fall into my hand. _Well, I guess I might as well..._

Inside the envelope were two sheets of paper. One was a letter that read:  
_"We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31"_

The second sheet contained the list of necessary books and equipment:  
_HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_  
UNIFORM  
First-year students will require:  
1\. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2\. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3\. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4\. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags  
COURSE BOOKS  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk  
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot  
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling  
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore  
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble  
OTHER EQUIPMENT  
wand cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set  
glass or crystal phials  
telescope set  
brass scales  
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad  
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

"Heavens forbid I dare to bring my own broomstick," I muttered, reading the list a few times. _Blimey, how was I going to get all this stuff??_ I looked over the sheets at McGonagall, who was watching me intently. I put the sheets of paper next to where I was sitting on my bed, which consisted of a mattress on the floor, and shuffled back far enough to rest my back against the wall before pulling my knees up to my chest and hugging my legs. What on earth was happening?

"Does Madam Agnatha know about this?" I asked, staring blankly at the floor instead of looking directly at the 'witch'.

"Your guardian has yet to be informed. Your situation is...a somewhat difficult one. This orphanage is extremely religious so the mere mention of witchcraft and wizardry could have all sorts of unpleasant effects on both your life and others. It was a huge topic for discussion and even the Ministry of Magic got involved-"

"The Ministry of Magic?"

"The main governing body of the magical community of Britain. They preserve magical law, similar to the muggle government only more efficient."

"Of course," I muttered, wondering just how crazy today was going to get.

"The conclusion we came to was to simply tell them the truth: that you've been selected to attend a particular boarding school in Scotland. We can't mention magic to people whom we know won't be able to accept it. If nothing goes well, certain actions will have to be taken. If all goes as planned, I'll be accompanying you to Diagon Alley shortly to gather your necessary equipment."

"I'm assuming this Diagon Alley place is like a magical shopping centre, am I right?" I asked, giving her a look of defeat.

"Very well assumed, Miss Nott. I shall now leave to explain your situation to Madam Agnatha. I'll also gather the necessary funds you'll be needing to purchase your equipment." I nodded, showing that I understood and watched her leave the room.

I used the time I'd been given to come to terms with what was happening. It made sense when I thought about it, after all there'd always been something about me that made me...different from the others. I could sometimes make things move without touching them, my door sometimes locked when I needed it to despite the fact that the door didn't have one, I sometimes found myself understanding what animals were saying, though this was rare, and even having conversations with them, there were all sorts of strange things that happened around me. Wasn't that why I was hidden away in the attic in the first place? _This certainly explained why they didn't want me being adopted, what would happen to St. Aggie's Home for Orphaned Children if their reputation became 'home for devil children'? Especially since this place is really superstitious._

I looked around my room, it had bare walls and floors and no light except what came through the windows and the cracks in the floor. It got particularly cold in the winter because there was no heating up here, so I'd usually have to light the fireplace that sat in the corner. It wasn't too bad, it had been much worse when I was first moved up here. It had taken months to clear out all the dust and spiders, another few months to make everything at least somewhat neat and tidy. There were several bookshelves stacked full of old books, all of which I'd read at least three times. They weren't all interesting, but there were several good books of Fairy Tales which I loved to read over and over again, like the one I'd been reading about dragons. Dragon stories were always my favourite ones. _If magic is real...maybe dragons are too._

Just as that amazing thought drifted through my mind, McGonagall came back through the door with a small smile on her face. "Everything is in order," she said, sounding pleased with herself. "Let's go." She walked over to the fireplace in the corner of my room and threw something into it, suddenly turning the flames bright green. "We're going to travel there using Floo Powder. This is a special kind of powder which you simply throw into a fireplace and allows you to travel anywhere if you say the name of the place you want to go while standing in the flames. When travelling by Floo powder it is important that you speak clearly, take care to get out at the right grate, keep your elbows tucked in, shut your eyes, don’t fidget and don’t panic."

I stared at the emerald flames with wide eyes. "Seriously? You want me to go in there just because you're telling me to?" I stood up from my bed and walked over to the fire. McGonagall put her hand in the fire, to prove her point, and I rolled my eyes. "Alright, but what do I have to say?"

"Just say 'Diagon Alley'. Say it VERY clearly, you wouldn't want to end up in the wrong place."

I sighed and took a shaky step into the flames, sighing when I discovered that they didn't harm me. "D...Diagon Alley," I said, hoping my voice was clear enough.

The next thing I knew I felt like I was being sucked down a giant drain. I felt like I was spinning increasingly fast and there was a roaring sound in my ears that was almost deafening. I remembered McGonagall's words and kept my eyes shut tight and my elbows tucked in. There was so much spinning, I was beginning to feel nauseous over it.. Suddenly I felt something like cold hands slapping my face and I dared open my eyes a little. I saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and glimpses of the rooms beyond. Where the hell was Diagon Alley? When was I supposed to get off?

Then, something like a light burst through my mind and I knew I had to step forwards. My foot moved before I could think about it and all of a sudden I was falling flat into a stone path. I grunted and pushed myself to my feet, staggering a little and quickly finding a wall to lean on. I looked around, confused and disorientated, when McGonagall suddenly appeared beside me. "Is it always like that?" I asked, coughing.

"You get used to it," she said. "You did well for your first time using Floo Powder. I was half expecting you to fall out in the completely wrong place." She smiled and looked up the path we were on, "Welcome to Diagon Alley."

We were standing in a small alley off to one side of a street full of shops and different people. There was too much to look at and I hardly noticed McGonagall start walking until I realised I was alone and rushed after her. There was one shop full of cauldrons of all sizes and designs. Another was a shop surrounded by owls of every species, Tawny, Snowy, Boreal, Screech, Long-Eared, too many to count! It was a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium. Another shop had a bunch of broomsticks in the window. "Don't tell me those are really used to fly on?" I asked.

"They most certainly are. They're used for travel and are also used in one of the most famous wizard sports of all time."

"You have a sport centred around broomsticks??" I asked with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"It's called Quidditch, we have tournaments at Hogwarts. Feel free to try and enter the team, though first years rarely make it onto their house team."

"House team?"

"I'll explain everything later," she said, not sounding irritated at all. "First, we need to exchange this muggle money I got from your guardians for Galleons." She quickly explained the currency of the wizarding world before I could ask and told me all about Gringotts, the wizard bank. We reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was an odd creature about a head shorter than I was. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and very long fingers and feet. He bowed as we walked inside. _I didn't think McGonagall was serious when she told me about the goblins..._

Now we were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, and a pair of goblins bowed us through and we entered a vast marble hall. McGonagall and I walked towards one particular area and she began speaking with the goblin sitting behind a long counter. I didn't pay attention to their conversation and instead focused on studying the room. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind the long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. After a few minutes, McGonagall signalled that it was time for us to leave and so we left. "We'll start with your uniform," she said, counting the coins she now held in her hands. "Madam Malkin's is the place for it." She guided me to a place that seemed like a clothes shop and before I knew what was happening I was getting my robes fitted for me. It didn't take long and I had to admit it looked cooler than any other uniform I'd ever worn. I mean, come on, who wouldn't love a bloody cloak for uniform?

We gradually made our way through the list, buying everything from parchment and quills to textbooks. It took a few hours, but eventually we got through everything except for a wand. Apparently McGonagall had been saving it for last. "Ollivanders," was all she said when I asked where we'd get it. "It's probably best if you went in alone, dear, these things are more delicate matters."

We stopped in front of a narrow and shabby building. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. I gave McGonagall a sceptical look and she returned it with an encouraging one. Whoopie, social interaction with complete strangers in a dark and dodgy-looking secluded area, not dangerous at all. I stepped forwards and pushed the door open, causing a tinkering bell to ring from somewhere in the depths of the shop. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair. I didn't sit down, preferring to stand just behind it and keep my guard up. There were thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. The dust and silence seemed to tingle with secret magic and I wondered just how powerful these wands would be.

"Good afternoon," a soft voice said, causing me to jump. An old man was standing in front of me, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hi," I said, shuffling awkwardly from one foot to the other. "Um...McGonagall told me I should come here to get a wand?" My sentence ended up sounding like a question at the end and I began to wonder how many things could go wrong in one conversation.

"Well, I'm glad she chose here. There's a different wand for every wizard and witch, it may take a while for one to choose you..."

"For a wand to choose me?" I asked, confused.

"Yes. It's the wand that chooses the wizard, or witch in your case," he chuckled. "What's your name?"

"Celia Meraculus Nott," I said, giving him my full name automatically.

He seemed surprised. "A member of the Nott family?"

I cocked my head to one side, confused. "The Nott family?"

He shook his head, waving me away. "Perhaps not. A coincidence. There aren't many wizard families with the same surname, however that changes nothing. Please, Miss Nott, could you show me your wand arm?"

"I'm right handed, if that's what you mean," I said, holding out my right arm. The man measured me from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round my head. As he measured, he told me about the wands. "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

He went away to rifle through some of the shelves, taking down boxes, and the tape measure continued its work on its own while he was gone. Eventually he waved it away and handed me a wand. "English Oak and unicorn hair, 10 inches, since and supple. Give it a wave."

I took the wand and waved it at the wall, but Mr. Ollivander quickly pulled it from my grasp. "Nope. Here, Holly and dragon heartsting. 12 inches, very flexible." I waved it but, again, it was taken from me. This went on for quite a while and soon we were both getting tired.

"I guess I'm not particularly popular among wands," I said, looking sadly at the Maple and phoenix feather wand that just rejected me.

"Nonsense, there's a wand for everyone. You just need to find the right one. Here, I have a special feeling about this one. It's a particular wand, the wood and core type are contradictory and unusual, but it will make a good wand." He studied t for a moment. "Hornbeam and phoenix feather, thirteen and a half inches, nice and supple."

"You don't even know if it will work yet," I said, reaching out to take it. As soon as my hand touched the wand, I felt warmth spread through my fingers that tingled with electricity. I pulled the wand towards my left side and swished it right, cutting through the dusty air and sending out a burst of whispy white and blue light that spiralled around the room until it faded away. I stared, amazed, at the wand...my wand.

Mr. Ollivander beamed, "Bravo! A fantastic wand indeed, it will serve you well. This type of wand is extremely loyal but can be hard to win over completely. It may sometimes act of its own accord, but that's common among phoenix feather cores. It will serve you well, I know."

I grinned down at my wand and thanked Mr. Ollivander repeatedly before and after paying the seven Galleons I owed him for the wand. Once I left, Professor McGonagall was waiting for me and I showed her my wand with a look of triumph and victory. After that we used the Galleons we had left to buy me a pet Barn Own, whom I quickly named Charlie, after a character from one of my books, and some extra Floo Powder that McGonagall said I could use to get to Kings Cross Station when it was time to go to Hogwarts. It was already late evening by the time we returned to St. Aggie's and both of us were worn out. "I can't believe I'm going to be going to magic school," I laughed, collapsing into my bed. "I never would've dreamed any of this could happen...yet here we are." I'd set Charlie loose in my room, considering it was an attic and owls had often slept up here before anyway. He was an intelligent owl though so I knew I didn't have to worry about him flying away into the distance. Plus, he seemed happier sitting amongst the wooden beams holding up the ceiling. He was now asleep with his head tucked under his left wing.

"You'll be starting in September, just like the normal school years for muggles. I look forward to seeing you again, Miss Nott. Do owl me if there's anything you wish to know, though I do believe I have told you more than enough in one day."

"You've been kinder to me in one day than I remember anyone else being in my whole life," I said, giving her a warm smile. "Though there is one thing I'd like to know." McGonagal nodded, gesturing for me to go on. "How come my bedroom chimney is connected to the Floo Network? You said that the Floo Powder only works in chimneys that are connected to the network..."

McGonagall shook her head. "I'm afraid I cannot answer that question. My best guess would be that a wizard or witch lived in this building once and connected this chimney to the network his or herself. There is no other simple explanation."

I nodded, satisfied. "Okay. Goodbye, Professor."

She nodded and stepped into the emerald green flames, disappearing in a burst of green.

I sighed and rolled over, looking at the huge pile of textbooks that now sat at the end of my bed. "I guess I should start studying this magic stuff then..."


End file.
